Done right, social media can help college applicants

In the age of Internet, quick responses and instant gratification, social media platforms (that includes LinkedIn, not just Twitter and Instagram) are daily stops for all you high school students out there. So since you are already a frequent visitor to these communication hubs, why not use them to your benefit?

We talked to Alan Katzman, the founder of Social Assurity, a social media advisory service for schools, students and parents, to get some tips on how to perfect your personal brand:

Be easy to locate. Don’t waste your time with aliases (you’ll look back and think they were dumb anyway). “Colleges use social media to proactively identify and recruit students,” Katzman says. “Students need to make their online profiles public and include enough personal data (school name, middle initial, etc.) to authenticate themselves beyond their given name.”

Interact to impress. “Actively engage and interact with college and university communities; almost all colleges now have a prominent social media presence and encourage applicants to interact with them on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube,” Katzman says. “This is opening up ways to impress college officials and demonstrate interest in ways never before possible.” By ensuring your social media accounts are putting your best foot forward before you start applying, you’re one step ahead of the game.

Show your personality.Steer clear of posting a status just because you know you’re going to get a lot of “likes.” Instead, play it smart. “Start posting content that supports the same activities, achievements and interests they plan on highlighting on [your] college applications.”